A Mass. State trooper and two others have been indicted on charges of colluding to provide fake vehicle inspection forms in exchange for cash, Suffolk Country Districk Attorney Daniel Conley said Thursday.
State trooper Robert Forrest, Bernaldo Hernandez and Kenneth Lafauci were all indicted on “one count each of bribery, making a false statement in an application for a title certificate, conspiracy to commit bribery, and conspiracy to make a false statement in an application for a title certificate,” according to a report from Conley’s office.
In the summer of last year, Forrest was assigned to inspect badly damaged vehicles, to ensure they had been properly repaired, to confirm that no stolen parts had been used to fix the damage and to complete the necessary paperwork so the cars could return to the road.
Hernandez and Lafauci, the latter of whom owns Brother’s Auto Body in Revere, paid Forrest to sign the necessary paperwork without inspecting the cars that were brought in to his shop. As a result, many cars could have been returned to the road in dangerous condition.
During a sting operation in June 2009, undercover State troopers brought paperwork to the shop for a vehicle that did not exist, along with $1000 in cash. Hernandez allegedly kept $500 for himself and gave the rest to Lafauci, who kept $450 and gave Forrest $50 to sign the paperwork, which he did.
Forrest was then immediately relieved of duty.
The three are expected to face arraignment on Feb. 25.
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